1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns an apparatus for structured detection and handling of problems that occur in a computerized system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Apparatuses and methods of the above general type have been known in the field of computer technology for a fairly long time. Numerous computer programs thus possess a “help” function. Given activation of the “help” function, a context menu is frequently opened which for the most part contains a content index structured in a hierarchical form as well as a search function for searching for individual search terms. After selection of a search term, instructions and explanations regarding the selected search term and, if applicable, solution suggestions are submitted to the user insofar as the selected search term concerns a known problem occurring in the system. A branching to other related search terms is frequently also possible.
Such “help” functions are for the most part not implemented in other fields of technology (such as, for example, medical technology) in which frequently no standard operating systems are used. A user of such systems is therefore normally forced to resort by telephone to a service center in order to obtain advice from a specialist to remedy the problem.
For the user this presents the difficulty of describing the problem in words, since the user normally does not know and/or understand the technical design of the respective system. Many problems are therefore frequently incomprehensible for a user. Furthermore, medical apparatuses are sold in many countries, such that the problem additionally occurs that a user cannot always use his or her native language on the hotline, but rather must use a different language (for example English). Experientially, the verbalization of a problem in a different language than the native language is very difficult for the user.
This has the consequence that the understanding between user and specialist is frequently unsatisfactory and requires a number of further inquiries. Even the appearance of the specialist on site is frequently necessary in order to obtain all information necessary for the correction of the problem. Furthermore, there is the problem that, upon calling the hotline, a user often initially does not know which specialists is needed for correction of the problem. As a consequence the user must often laboriously and reluctantly proceed through a number of false starts until the user finds the competent specialists for the correction of the problem, since the personnel used for service centers normally possess a very broad but not very deep expertise.
The help function described in the preceding and implemented in many computer programs also has the disadvantage that it is for the most part insufficient to handle complex problems, since dependencies and interactions among individual problems normally cannot be detected and remedied.